Gluten Free Mandelbread

This recipe for Gluten Mandelbread is from my mom’s friend Martha (who’s 95!). She got it from her aunt, making the original recipe from around 1900.

Mandelbread

Of course, it wasn’t originally gluten free.  It’s one of those word-of-mouth recipes, that someone eventually scribbled down. Martha changed it…My mom has changed it, as everyone who inherits a recipe does. Since I’ve convinced her to try going gluten-free, Mom’s begun adapting her favorite recipes using the gluten-free flour mixture. (this post contains affiliate links)

She apologized…”I don’t know how much of the chips I add. You know, just a handful of each…until it looks right.” In any case, she was excited for me to try the recreated recipe, and we both agreed, no one would be able to tell the difference between her version and one using regular flour.

Martha’s Aunt’s Mandelbread. (Gluten free version)

Mandelbread, or Mandelbrodt is a traditional Jewish cookie, similar to Italian biscotti, and literally means “almond bread”. For this Mandlebread, we’ve substituted hazelnuts for the almonds, although you could certainly use almonds in place of the hazelnuts! It’s a very easy to make, you don’t even need a mixer! The butterbrickle, white chocolate, and butterscotch chips are my mom’s addition and aren’t really traditional, but they sure make a delicious cookie!. The nice thing about this recipe, is that you can use whatever combination of fruits and nuts you’d like!

Form the dough into two long logs, about 2″ wide, by 1″ tall. These are around 14″ long.

The above picture is for my Biscotti recipe. The method for making Mandelbread is the same.

Let the Mandelbread cool just a few minutes before slicing into 3/4″ to 1″ slices. (This is biscotti pictured)

Allow the Mandelbread to cool just enough to handle, then slice and return to the oven to finish baking.

Cut the cooled longs into slices about 3/4″ wide.

If you’re looking for more traditional Jewish dishes that are also gluten free, how about Rugelach or Latkes?

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I hope you enjoy this Gluten Free Mandelbread! It makes a great addition to any holiday dessert buffet!Gluten FreeMandelbread

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 10 mins

 

Martha's Aunt's Mandelbread, circa 1900 (adapted by my mom, Jonne' to be gluten-free).

Course: Cookie

Cuisine: Eastern European

Author: Cynthia McCloud Woodman

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups unbleached flour or gluten-free flour mix*
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup toasted hazelnuts chopped
• 2 handfuls chocolate chips
• 1 handful each butterbrickle chips, butterscotch chips and white chocolate chips.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Whisk together eggs, oil, sugar, orange juice and vanilla in a bowl.
3. Whisk dry ingredients together in a bowl.
4. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
5. Fold in nuts and chips
6. Form dough into a long rectangular loaf. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove from oven and and allow to 3 to 4 minutes, then slice into 1" slices.
7. Turn down oven to 300 degrees F.
8. Put sliced bars on a silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet, cut side up, and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Recipe Notes

Gluten free flour blend

 I hope that you enjoy this not-so traditional recipe for Gluten Free Mandelbread!

Some of the items used in this post are available here at no additional cost to you.

Gluten Free Mandelbread is filled with hazelnuts, white and dark chocolate chips and butterbrickle.